Pump construction



`Iuly 2, 1935.

E, G. ARDREY 2,006,727

PUMP CONSTRUCTION Filed NOV. 5, 1951 @dwmwa akamu;

Patented July 2, 1935 UNITED STATES :PATENT OFFICE;`

PUMP CONSTRUCTION Application November 5, 1931, Serial No. 573,271

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to pumps of a motor driven character and is directed more particularly to the centrifugal impeller operated type.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision of a pump of this nature which is so constructed as to be particularly suit- Aable for ower garden displays, such as water fountains, lily ponds and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a centrifugal pump with a novel mounting for the impeller thereof including a bearing member positioned around the impeller hub sleeve or inlet. This bearing is preferably formed of rubber or vulcanite material, which is substantially frictionless when lubricated by water. A bearing of this kind has been found particularly'suitable for this type of pump in that the pump which is frequently submerged in Water will thus be lubricated by the lm of water passing between the bearing and the impeller.

A further object is to provide novel means for effecting the adjustment of the bearing member relative to the impeller body or hub thereof to take up wear which may develop and to provide for proper clearance between the impeller and bearing for the water lubrication thereof and the efficient operation of the pump.

A still further object is to form the pump and motor thereof into a single unit which may be readily assembled for operation and adjusted without the use of expert service.

With these and other objects in view, which Will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists inthe novel features of construction, co'mbinations of elements and arrangements of parts hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through the pump comprising the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is another horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. l

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral I designates the apparatus in its entirety. The apparatus, which consists of a pump unit 2 and a motor 3 connected into one assembly, is of such size that it may be readily handled and carried by the lower end of an outlet pipe or conduit 4, which in this instance serves as the sole support therefor. The pump 2 of the ap- (Cl. 10B-87) paratus, which is submerged into a body of water with a motor unit 3 arranged thereabove, comprises a pump casing 5 formed with a liquid outlet 6 terminating in an upwardly extending portion 'I to which is threadedly connected the lower 5 end of the conduit 4. Arranged within the casing 5 is an impeller 8 which is arranged for rotationr around a vertical axis and attached for turning movement with the vertical positioned shaft 9 connected vby the coupling I to the armature 10 shaft Il of the motor 3.

The impeller 8 may be of any customary construction, and is formed to include arcuate blades or vanes I2, which are connected at their sides by the upper and lower walls I3 and I4. The 15 upper of said walls is formed with a runner hub I open at its top and which forms the inlet for the pump. Arranged around the hub I5 is a bearing ring I6, preferably formed of rubber and having its inner surface' formed so as to conform to the shape of the cylindrical surface I5 of the hub. This rubber ring is of such size as to provide a slight clearance between its inner face and the impeller sleeve, and the lower face of the ring is likewise spaced slightly from the horizontal surface I8 of a boss I9 formed within the upper impeller wall I3. These slight clearances permit the passage of a thin film of water between the bearing and the impeller which will serve to lubricate the bearing.

The bearing ring I6 is attached to a metallic I ring 20 which in turn is clamped between a collar 2I and a plate 22. The plate and collar are held in place by screws or the like 23 threaded into an enlargement 24 formed with the lower end of the screen-carrying sleeve 25. 'Ihe sleeve 25 is attached to the pump casing 5 by means of capscrews 26 threaded into said casing. The sleeve 25, which surrounds the shaft 9, has a cylindrical screen 21 positioned therein which is held in 40 place Within the sleeve between the collar 2l and the upper end wall 2B of the sleeve. 'I'he cylindrical side wall of the sleeve 25 is formed with a plurality of openings 29, through which openings the water iinds its inlet to the upper end of the hub sleeve I5 of the impeller. The. sleeve 25, with the openings therein which are of considerable height, provides for a large entrance of water into the pump. By the provision of the cylindrical screen or strainer, material such as leaves and the like will be prevented from being drawn into the pump mechanism.

Formed with the upper wall 28 of the sleeve 25 is a threaded extension 29 which is received within a similarly threaded nut or collar 30 provided upon the lower end of a motor support 3|. This support' consists of a pair of upstanding arms 32 which have their upper ends joined with the casing of a motor unit 3 and their lower ends connected to the nut 30. By means of this mounting, the motor 3 may be adjusted relative to the pump 2 to effect the proper positioning of the impeller Within the hub casing. It will be seen that by the rotation of the motor 3 and its support around the extension 23, and because of the driving connection between the motor 3 and the impeller 8, the latter may be adjusted vertically so as to efl'ect the desired spacing between the lower end wall and the hub I5 of the impeller. This adjustment of the motor 3 upon the extension 29 may be fixed by clamping together the split ends 33 of the collar 30 as clearly i1- lustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

It will be noted that the pump casing 5 is united with the sleeve 25 at a point substantially in alignment with the bearing ring I6. This will facilitate the adjustment of said ring relative to the impeller in that the sleeve 25 with the motor 3 carried thereby, together with the impeller 8, may thus be removed from the pump casing 5 as a unit and the amount of adjustment noted from the side of the impeller while the latter is detached from the casing 5. It is also to be observed that the lower end of the ring i8 extends a distance below the plate 22 and that considerable clearance is provided between the top wall i3 of the impeller and said plate. This is done so that any wear which may be developed between the bearing and the surface i8 may be taken up without the likelihood that the impeller will scrape or touch said plate. This clearance has been shown very small, as it has been found that little or no wear will occur between the rubber ring and the impeller due to the fact that the water is a good lubricant for rubber.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a pumping apparatus has been provided which is of an extremely simple and novel design and one which is so arranged and constructed that it may be attached and supported solely by the lower end of a pipe and lowered into a body of water for immediate operation. 'Ihe pump unit of the apparatus requires practically no attention by an operator after once installed for operation in that the unit needs no lubrication other than that which the water provides, thus simplifying the maintenance thereof to a minimum. A large screened inlet is provided for the pump which is of such size that the water level may rise and, lower a considerable distance without affecting the feeding of the pump. A novel feature is to provide a pump with a large central inlet formed with the hub of the impeller with the bearing surrounding the same so that the flow of water into the impeller would be unhindered and not restricted by the bearing, as is often the case in pumps of this kind. The pump, which is so mounted that the impeller thereof rotates in a horizontal plane, has its inlet arranged on the top side thereof where it will be protected and not likely to become clogged should the pump be lowered to the bottom of the pond or body of water in which it is positioned. The construction and assembly' of the apparatus are such that the adjustment of the pump impeller or bearing relative to the other may be readily made by simplified means which would only require the skill of an ordinary layman for its operation.

The apparatus due to its construction is particularly suitable for use in connection with water displays, such as water fountains and the like wherein only comparatively low pressures are needed for effecting the circulation of the water. The pump may of course be used in various other fields wherein use is found for raising water from one point to another.

' Although the illustration shown in the drawing constitutes one particular embodiment of my invention, it lwill be understood -that I do not limit myself particularly to the exact details herein illustrated, since, more especially, certain parts thereof may be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the subjoined claim.

What is claimed is:

A rotary pump mechanism comprising a screened cage adapted for submergence in a body of liquid, a pump housing joined at the lower end of said cage, an impeller rotatable in said housing, a tubular hub formed with said impeller, said hub being provided with an open upper end communicating with the interior of said cage, the lower end of said hub being in direct communication with pumping passages formed in said irnpeller, a liquid outlet leading from the peripheral portion of said housing, a threaded boss formed upon the upper end of said cage, an electric motor including a supporting frame mounted for vertical adjustment on said boss, an impeller shaft driven by and depending axially from said motor, the lower end of said shaft being directly connectedwith said impeller, and a resilient nonmetallic packing disposed between the hub of the impeller and said housing.

EDWARD G. ARDREY. 

